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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Murders,
children coming back home, folks getting run off the road, revenge for a
20-year-old murder, and many unusual things happening in the bitter
cold county of Tamarack in Northern Minnesota.

What was happening
in this town that usually was a quiet place to be? No one knew the
answer, and the police had no clue either. Even Cork, a retired deputy
sheriff, was called in for the investigation that he was more involved
with than he knew.

Cork O’Connor wasn't aware that his family
would be involved and that part of his family was changing. Cork is a
character you would personally want as a friend. He is a great father as
well as a dedicated law man.

TAMARACK COUNTY is the second book I
have read by Mr. Krueger. It is quite different from ORDINARY GRACE,
but still beautifully detailed and written.

Mr. Krueger's
characters are always an interesting lot. I enjoyed learning about the
Indian traditions and a few Indian words. The landscape descriptions
were amazing, but I wouldn't want to live in that cold climate, though,
which seemed to be a major theme.

TAMARACK COUNTY definitely kept
my attention with a good storyline but a storyline that wasn't gripping
until the last half of the book when things did heat up in those
freezing temperatures as the mystery unraveled as well as the history
of the characters.

The characters were well developed,
authentic, and very plausible. TAMARACK COUNTY is a book about
community and family all working together for the good of each other.

TAMARACK COUNTY has religious and philosophical themes as subplots.

A quote from page 205 is quite meaningful and something I believe needs to be shared:

“Anger,
hate, jealousy envy, fear. Fill your pockets with these heavy stones
and you spend your life trying not to drown. Throw them away, and you
float."

I hope you get to read this book. It was thought provoking, introspective, and will hold your interest. I enjoyed it. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Love is a Battlefield.

﻿The aftershocks of an affair reverberate out to those in the lives of the lovers, who will NOTtake it lying down.

​Jack Connor's idyllic life in the Portsmouth countryside with billionaire
heiress wife Caitlin McAllen is shattered when alluring Michelle, with
whom he is having an affair and who is pregnant with his child, is found
dead and Jack is arrested for the murder. Jeremy Stone brings a top
London attorney to handle his best friend’s defense.

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I haven't read this book, but it sounds very good.

The excerpt above definitely is a great teaser.

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Jac Wright is a published poet, published author, and an electronics engineer educated at Stanford, University College London, and Cambridge who lives and works in England.

Jac studied English literature from the early age of three, developing an intense love for poetry, drama, and writing in Speech & Drama classes taken every Saturday for fourteen years, and in subsequent creative writing classes taken during the university years.

A published poet, Jac's first passion was for literary fiction and poetry writing as well as for the dramatic arts. You will find these influences in the poetic imagery and prose, the dramatic scene setting, and the deep character creation.

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1. Who are your favorite mystery/suspense/thriller series characters?

The talented Mr. Ripley created by Patricia Highsmith. (What a unique character!)

Cormoran Strike created by J. K. Rowling. (You can’t help but like the big oaf even though he is a very cliché character. )

I am a mystery author/crime novelist/thriller writer and thus I am also a literary fiction writer, a poet, and an electronic engineer.

This is one aspect of the culture at Stanford when I was a student there, the idea that you need not be pigeonholed into just one area of talent. You can be a “Renaissance man” who can excel at many things that are considered the opposites of each other. This idea liberated me from my limited self-image and allowed me to start writing.

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3. What kinds of questions/feedback do you most enjoy (or least enjoy) receiving from readers?Anything that is not too personal. I like them to focus on the work than on me personally.

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4. Tell us something about your book that isn't mentioned in the publisher synopsis.

Jeremy Aiden Stone, my series lead in The Reckless Engineer, lives my dream life. I also live it through him.

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5. Give us a summary of your book in a tweet (140 characters or less).

Tweet: “Love is a battlefield. The aftershocks of an affair reverberate out into those in the lives of the lovers who will NOT take it lying down.”

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6. What is next for you?

I have two more stories half written:

The Bank Job (Summerset Tales #2)

Buy, Sell, Murder (The Reckless Engineer #2)

I have started the fifth, In Plain Sight, with just the plot and the main characters designed and only the first chapter written. It is a stand-alone full-length book.

Monday, October 21, 2013

They lived on opposite sides of the tracks, Betty Jewel apparently
on the wrong side and Cassie on the right side. Betty Jewel had a
secret that she kept for ten years. A secret unknown to Cassie and that
secret being their ultimate connection.

Betty Jewel was the mother of Billie and was dying of cancer.
Cassie was a reporter who found herself a widow and someone who became a
part of Betty Jewel, Mama/Miss Queen, and Billie's life.
Billie was a precocious child and the center of the connection between
Cassie and Billie's family.

When Billie accidentally found out her mother was dying from cancer
because of her constant eavesdropping, she was determined to find her
father so he could make her mother well. Billie took a trip to Memphis
alone to find her daddy. This trip is what brought the secret out and what
made Cassie want to help even more. She wanted to be a friend to Mary
Jewel even though it wasn't proper for a white person to be friends with
anyone in the black community.

THE SWEETEST HALLELUJAH had the "sweetest" characters. Mama/Miss Queen
was strict, but the sweetest ever. She was portrayed so well, you could
vividly see her as well as see through her. You will feel right at home with
Mama/Miss Queen. She had loving arms for you no matter what. The
description of her pies and their aroma will have your mouth watering,
but everything about her sent out warmth and love.

THE SWEETEST HALLELUJAH is set in the deep south when the Jim Crow
Laws were still a major part of everyone's life. THE SWEETEST
HALLELUJAH is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking.

The
author perfectly portrays this time in history along with the
characters' feelings and fears. Every character was flawlessly portrayed
from their expressions down to their clothing. The descriptions of the
landscape, the houses, and even the weather was amazing.

THE SWEETEST HALLELUJAH is a story about friendship that breaks all boundaries and a story that you will not easily forget.

I truly enjoyed this book because of the bond between the women and the
way the author carried it out so well. You will be right there with the
characters sharing their laughter and their pain. Be sure to have some
tissues on hand. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

The Mississippi River
was home to Dixie Clay after she married her husband, Jesse. at the ripe old
age of sixteen. She really didn't know anything about what he did for a
living, and she certainly didn't know he was a bootlegger.

THE
TILTED WORLD is set in Mississippi during the flooding in the 1920's and has a
very eccentric set of characters. There are bootleggers, revenuers trying to
catch the bootleggers, women who are supporting their bootlegging husbands, and
a baby who along with Dixie Clay are two of the main characters, and the
characters that carry the storyline.

Dixie Clay and the
baby will warm your heart, and Jesse will make you want to set him straight for
how he treats Dixie Clay.

Ingersoll and
Ham are the revenuers who have out-of-the ordinary
backgrounds...especially Ingersoll. Ingersoll’s background tells his
story in flashbacks. His background made him the “sweet” man Dixie Clay became
‘sweet” on.

Franklin
and Fennelly are master storytellers, and their detail is incredible. You
will easily feel the river rising, the steels bubbling, the energy in the
speakeasies, and the life that was lead in Mississippi at this time. The
writing is smooth and easy and will pull you in just as the river does as the
story unfolds.

The book is
definitely character driven and quite easy to become involved with the
characters whether they are upstanding or not. There actually aren't too
many upstanding characters, but I really enjoyed THE TILTED WORLD once it got on its way.

I didn't know
what to expect at first, but THE TILTED WORLD is quite appealing because
of the characters and the amazing writing. You will also find out the meaning of the title.

The ending will have you on the edge of your seat, but it will also have you smiling. 4/5

This book was given
to me free of charge by the publisher and without compensation in return for an
honest review.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

A child herself, unwed, a baby, no mother, not attending school, working at a sewing factory, an abusive father, and no place to go. How much more could Emmalee take?

Emmalee Bullard quit school because her father told her he was tired of taking care of her, and she needed to get a job. She fortunately was hired at the town's sewing factory and met a wonderful woman, Leona, who treated her like family, but then that didn't work out either for Emmalee.

Emmalee had to make a funeral dress for Leona not long after Leona was going to help her. Emmalee's heart was broken, and yours will break for her as she suffers yet another loss in her life.

You will fall in love with Emmalee, feel her pain, and want to hug her and take care of her. You will want to take her away from all of this.

THE FUNERAL DRESS is about loving someone and wanting to remember them the best way you can. It is about caring for others even if they aren't family. It is about the bond women have for each other. Every part of THE FUNERAL DRESS is simply lovely even though it is sad.

Ms. Gilmore's writing style is easy and beautiful. You will be right there with the characters enjoying their time together as well as being there as they help each other through unhappy times.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It left me with a deep sentiment about the unspoken bonds women have and also with a better understanding of the plight of many women right in our midst.

THE FUNERAL DRESS will leave you with a lingering warmth and concern for the characters as you close the cover. Make sure THE FUNERAL DRESS is part of your "must read" list. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Friday, October 11, 2013

If you enjoy intrigue, adventure, and a walk through someone's life that includes a
bit of espionage, you won't want to miss THE NINE FOLD HEAVEN.The
main character, Camilla, definitely led a captivating, dangerous
life. The book walks you through the pain of her losing her only
child, walks you through her quest to find her child, and also walks you through her methods of trying to steer clear of the
gang she once was a forced part of. THE NINE FOLD HEAVEN is
narrated by Camilla and will keep you totally absorbed in her story.
She is involved in some pretty harrowing situations. Her character is very deep and thoughtful
as well as chilling. She would kill you as fast as she would love you. THE
NINE FOLD HEAVEN will pull you in, will sit you down, and will sail you
away on an Oriental adventure filled with love, hatred, cunning deals, an abundance of Oriental thoughts, superstitions and sayings filled
with words of luck and/or doom.I enjoyed THE NINE FOLD HEAVEN.
The story flowed nicely, with the added bonus of vicariously living
Camilla's life. All of this was masterfully carried out. It felt as
though you were in her shoes or her disguises feeling the fear of the
situation or the warmth of her love for those closest to her.I have never read a book by Ms. Yip, but her writing style is enjoyable, smooth, detailed, and absorbing. This is a sequel to SKELETON WOMEN, but I had
no trouble reading it as a stand alone. 5/5

Click here to watch a book trailer. I received this book free of charge and without compensation from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Holy set of characters. There are so many wonderful characters in this book, but the one that counts is Bronwyn.

Bronwyn
is a photographer who rescues a Prime Minister's sons from kidnappers,
and as she is rescuing them is shot. She recovers and then gets taken
care of by the Prime Minister and his wife and by being taken care of, I
mean taken care of. :) She has places to live...something she never
had before, a servant/bodyguard named Jeeves, and everything paid for.

She
wants for nothing even though she has no immediate family to share her
newfound wealth with since she was left alone when she was eight years
old. The best gift the Prime Minister and his wife give her is an
estate in Maine.

You will follow Bronwyn through her recovery
after the shooting and a few other harrowing incidents, but the main
gist of the book along with its wonderful details about Pittsburgh is
that Bronwyn is designing her estate in Maine and choosing the people
she will have live there. That would be a wonderful dream to have come
true.

The book is full of quirky, but great characters you would
want to meet. Bronwyn is someone you definitely would want to meet and
actually be.

NORTH OF SUPPOSED TO BE is filled with Ms.
Ferguson's marvelous details about each character and places visited by
Bronwyn. She specifically details places in Pittsburgh, PA, which is
where I live.

Ms. Ferguson takes you around the world and throughout the United States as you travel with Bronwyn.

A great
deal of research went into this book. It is an enjoyable, quick read
even thought it is quite long. The pages just seem to fly by.

Give
it a try if you want to meet some great characters and take a trip to
Pittsburgh and other places without leaving your home. You should
enjoy it.

I am going to rate this book a 3/5, though, because of its length and because I got lost a few times with so many characters. :)

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the author in return for an honest review.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

From simply buying a pet and seeing something suspicious going on in the pet store to a murder and finding love.

Nadia, a newspaper reporter, got herself into some deep trouble this time. She always did like mischief, and she definitely got herself into more than mischief this time. Her co-worker was murdered on one of their investigations, and a man who calls himself Mr. A has drawn Nadia into an online chat room. A chat room that ultimately leads to trouble, a rescue, and a new friend.

MAVERICK TOUCH: THE CAT is a cozy mystery with wonderful characters that you will become attached to. The closeness of Nadia's family was a very touching addition to this murder mystery.

All the techie content was refreshing too. I have never read a book by by Ms. Nemer, but most likely will read her other books.

MAVERICK TOUCH: THE CAT has an easy style, an interesting plot, and above all terrific characters that are quite authentic and ones you would want to know or have for your own family.

If you need a break from a regular, gory mystery, but a mystery that will keep you interested, you won’t want to miss this book. There definitely is some suspense, though, for those who MUST have some action. The ending pages became quite tense. MAVERICK TOUCH: THE CAT was a quick, fun, sweet read....I actually needed tissues a few times. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the author in return for an honest review.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Those words are the beginning, the ending, and the
basis of NECESSARY LIES. Those five words go full circle in this
incredible, haunting book.

You will be transported to
another world as you read NECESSARY LIES. A world of poverty and
illiteracy as well as pity for the way the families had to live.

Jane,
a physician's wife, was the new social worker dealing with the Hart and
Jordan families. The families worked on a farm owned by Mr. Gardiner
who had connections with both families - connections that were not on
the up and up. The Hart
girls, Ivy and Mary Ella, were the biggest problems for the family and
definitely the social worker. Together each family told a lot of
secrets and "necessary
lies" to the social worker.

The book's characters were
genuine and will tug at your emotions.
One thing after another happens to the family, and the social worker
gets drawn into the family's plight even
though the social services agency told her some of things she was doing for the
family were not acceptable.

The book flowed very nicely
and was divided into chapters told in the voice of the main characters.
You will become attached to the characters as I did and will be staying
up late to "turn the pages" of this well-researched and beautifully
written, poignant book based on a true program implemented in North
Carolina.

NECESSARY LIES is the perfect title because
lies were necessary for the characters to survive. It is heart
wrenching yet informative as you follow the characters through their
inadequate, restricted days. I thoroughly enjoyed this insightful,
sensitive first book I have read by Diane Chamerblain. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

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...so nice to see you stopped by.
My blog began in 2010 simply because I wanted to give blogging a try and to have my own personal space to share my reviews. I loved visiting Portree, Scotland, and thought that would make a wonderful header because of the colors. It has since become my trademark. I also love polka dots and think it makes my blog, the header, and my personality come together.
My blog's goal is to introduce you to historical fiction and mystery titles and to promote the overall love of reading to everyone of all ages.
Please stop back as often as you like to see what reviews I have added to the BLOG ARCHIVE and for bookish fun and giveaways.
I hope to see you often.
ELIZABETH

In my delight with your review, I forgot to say you wrote a hell of a good review.Concise but hitting all the points and making it sound interesting to a reader.I'm surprised you haven't taken up the pen yourself!

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Ahhhhh...Scotland - July, 2010

.................Back in Scotland again this summer visiting my son...a lot of new things to see...old houses from the 1600's and quaint settings. We also went to London to see LOVE NEVER DIES...it is Andrew Lloyd Weber's sequel to THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Went to the Isle of Skye...what beautiful green hills, waterfalls, sheep, mountains...just fantastic. Stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in this most adorable, remote town called Portree...check it out...the photo at the top half of my blog actually is Portree, Scotland...love Portree. Went to York, England also...very quaint as well. The only thing I didn't like was the weather...definitely not summer weather to me...I need HOT temperatures. :) Also heard the Rod Stewart concert while standing on the Royal Mile....he was at the Edinburgh Castle in a stadium-like outdoor stage and we could hear it from the street.....pretty awesome.